Sports

To the ‘Victorino’ Go the Spoils

ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 05: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox hits a two run pinch hit home run in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 5, 2013 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) _ Shane Victorino scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a dropped fly ball by right fielder Josh Hamilton and David Ortiz had a pinch-hit two-run homer to help the Boston Red Sox beat Los Angeles 6-2 on Friday.

The AL East-leading Red Sox won their fifth straight and ninth in 10 games after losing all three games at Angel Stadium last season.

Victorino singled leading off the seventh against C.J. Wilson (8-6). Wilson retired the next two batters before Jonny Gomes hit a towering fly toward the right field line that should have ended the inning.

Hamilton ran a long way and stuck out his glove, but the ball bounced off it, allowing Victorino to score from first base.

Wilson was replaced by Dane De La Rosa, who ended the inning by picking off Gomes.

Felix Doubront (5-3) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked two. The left-hander retired 10 in a row after giving up a game-tying homer to Howie Kendrick leading off the fourth.

Ortiz had originally been scheduled for a day off, but came in to pinch-hit for Brandon Snyder with the Red Sox clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth. He slugged his 17th homer of the season to right field on an 0-1 pitch from De La Rosa, scoring Daniel Nava who led off with a double.

Wilson allowed three runs _ one earned _ and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked two, but was let down by the Angels’ defensive miscues.

He gave up three consecutive two-out singles to load the bases in the sixth before fielding a soft broken-bat liner from Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning. Wilson flipped the ball into the stands as he jogged back to the dugout.

The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the second on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s RBI single and a fielding error by left fielder J.B. Shuck.

The Angels, who had won eight of their previous nine games, scored their first run on Albert Pujols’ double-play groundout in the third.

Pujols and Hamilton each went 1 for 4, and Mike Trout was 1 for 3 with a walk for the Angels.

Notes: Angels RHP Jered Weaver became a first-time father on Friday when his wife gave birth to son Aden David Weaver. The baby is named for Weaver’s late teammate and friend Nick Adenhart, who was killed by a drunken driver in 2009 hours after pitching in his season debut. … The Red Sox placed SS Stephen Drew on the DL retroactive to June 29 and recalled RHP Jose De La Torre from Triple-A Pawtucket. Drew says his right hamstring continues to improve, but that it made sense for him to let it heal before returning. … The Angels will start RHP Jerome Williams on Saturday, three days after he started in a 12-2 loss to St. Louis. … It was Ortiz’s fifth career pinch-hit homer, and his first since May 29, 2011, at Detroit.